DEPRESSING

The Trump administration is seeking to amend Obama-era regulations to allow hunters to kill black bears and wolves on some public lands in Alaska. A notice issued by the National Park Service on Monday said the move is meant to bring federal rules in line with Alaska state law. If approved, the proposed changes would reportedly allow hunters to use dogs to hunt black bears, kill wolves and their pups in their dens, and use spotlights to shoot mother black bears and their cubs. Such practices in sport hunting have been condemned by wildlife protection groups and were outlawed on federal lands in 2015. Wildlife officials in Alaska, which has 10 national reserves spanning almost 37,000 square miles, said the measure could help with “predator control,” which is not currently conducted on national preserves. The Humane Society of the United States has come out against the move, calling it a “a misguided attempt to increase trophy hunting opportunities.”